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Whether the drywall on your wall got wet and buckled, you have removed wallpaper, or the drywall simply wasn't installed properly, ridges, valleys, visible seams and residue aren't an attractive sight in any room. You can fix it with a texturing technique that drywall installers call skim coating, which is a method they use to create perfectly smooth walls. While it doesn't involve complicated tools and supplies, it takes a certain amount of skill to do it right. If you're new to drywall finishing, you may have to spend more time on the job than a professional would.

Sand the wall with 120-grit sandpaper to remove bumps or residue from wall paper removal. Use a sanding pole to reach higher places on the wall or to sand the ceiling. Avoid sanding seams where the paper tape is visible. After you've finished sanding, spread a coat of PVA primer on the wall and let it dry. Polyvinyl acetate is a primer-sealer that helps make the surface uniform.

Mix a batch of all-purpose joint compound powder with water in a 5-gallon bucket or use ready-mixed compound. If you mix your own, make it the consistency of peanut butter. It shouldn't be pourable and should stay on your mixing tool without falling off. Transfer some into a plastic mudding trough.

Spread the compound into depressions in the drywall and scrape it flat with a 10- to 12-inch drywall knife. If there are ridges or visible seams, spread the joint compound on either side of them and scrape it flat with the surrounding wall. Don't try to make them disappear on the first coat. Depending on how large flaws are they are, it may take several coats.

Let the compound dry, then sand it lightly, clean the sanding dust off the wall and spread another coat over a wider area of the wall and scrape it flat. Let it dry, sand and apply a third coat. The idea is to gradually build up the wall surface until it is as high as the highest ridge or seam.

Keep your knife free of bits of paper and dried joint compound by scraping it frequently on the metal rim of the trough and removing debris from the mud inside the trough. The debris will make lines on the wall when you scrape, which you may be able to sand off — or you may have to add an extra coat to fill them.

Sand the wall lightly with 120-grit sandpaper after the final coat dries. Prime the wall with PVA primer before you paint it.

Things You Will Need

120-grit sandpaper

Sanding pole

PVA primer

Joint compound

Mudding trough

10- to 12-inch drywall knife

Tip

Repair any bubbling or separated tape before you skim coat.

If the wall is uneven because the drywall got wet, make sure it is dry and firmly attached to the studs before you skim coat. Badly damaged drywall will have to be replaced.

About the Author

Chris Deziel has a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in humanities. Besides having an abiding interest in popular science, Deziel has been active in the building and home design trades since 1975. As a landscape builder, he helped establish two gardening companies.